Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to the field of tires. In particular, exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to enhancing/manipulating light reflective properties of sidewalls of pneumatic tires.
Pneumatic tires may be constructed from a radial body, which is attached to a bead structure, to form a toroidal shape when inflated. The bead structure may include a plurality of steel wires or cables, which, under tension, fit around the design rim of a tire for a vehicle. The radial body ply may be wrapped circumferentially with at least one steel belt. The tread, which contacts the road surface, may be formed outside of the at least one steel belt. The tread may be connected to the bead structure by a relatively thin section of sidewall rubber.
Vehicle tires having the above construction may affect various aspects of the vehicle's operation, such as the smoothness of the ride, the handling characteristics of the vehicle, the durability of the tire, and gasoline mileage. For example, decreasing rolling resistance of the tire may increase the gasoline mileage of the vehicle. Rolling resistance may be decreased in forming the sidewalls of the tire as mono-ply structures covered by a thin rubber stock layer. However, as a result, cosmetically unappealing sidewall undulations may be formed in the sidewalls of the tire. These sidewall undulations may be viewed as defects in the sidewalls of the tire.
Related art tire sidewalls include annular indicia bands to assist in concealing the unsightly sidewall undulations. These indicia bands may include numerals, letters, symbols and/or other characters to enhance the appearance of the tire sidewalls, as well as provide information. The information provided by the indicia may include information about a tire manufacturer and/or a tire, such as the manufacturer's name, a product name, tire specifications, a warning label, and/or other identifying information.
Although all of the information provided by the indicia may not always be substantively useful, the indicia may be provided on the sidewalls of the tire so as to provide an aesthetic and/or a decorative component, and may be viewed by any of the users at any time. Those viewing the indicia may include a tire manufacturer, a buyer, an end user, and/or any other person that handles and/or views the tire. However, the indicia may not always be legible to the users due to light reflective properties and/or light absorbent properties of the sidewalls of the tires.